He was also Rachelles boyfriend. Before the night was over, however, Lauri would be abducted in the familys purple minivana vehicle later found 40 miles away, burned with Lauris charred remains inside. February 6, 2015. It was disgusting," Merritt told producers. Lauri Waterman. Curtis Blackwell, juror: Well, it was the most damning evidence they had. Articles presented on Wikinews reflect the specific time at which they were written and published, and do not attempt to encompass events or knowledge which occur or become known after their publication. Jason was a 24-year-old high school janitor who lived in his mothers basement. Her youngest, Rachelle, was participating in a high school volleyball tournament in Anchorage. She was trapped in this hellhole called Craig and she was suffocating. Her trial opened this past January in Juneau, Alaska, several hundred miles from Rachelle's hometown of Craig. It consumes most of my thoughts. The Appeals court conceded in its decision, which was released Friday, that there is a scientific basis for the appeal. Brian stated that Jason asked him to kill Lauri and that Rachelle had often complained to him about her mother's abuses. This page was last edited on 15 December 2022, at 02:16. Don Martelli is Rachelle's grandfather. She was convicted of criminally negligent homicide, and sentenced to three years in prison. Rachelle: I didn't think they had the balls to do it. Brian Radel, dated Rachelle Waterman: She would mention that her mom had hit her with a baseball bat, that her mom liked to hit her in the lower back. Mar 08, 2006; Juneau, AK, USA; RACHELLE WATERMAN, the 17-year-old Alaska honor student accused of plotting with two former boyfriends to kill her mother, with her father, CARL . And no one would have thought much about Rachelle and Jason dating, except that Rachelles parents had higher aspirations for their daughter, and settling for an unambitious dud like Jason wasnt one of them. Both Jason and Brian were reported to have dated Rachelle. her aunt Dina. But even the Watermans' best friends say they doubt Rachelle will ever be welcome back in Craig, Alaska, the small village where so many loved her mother. Always.Jason Arrant: What I did was a horrible thing, and I won't dispute that by pretending to be innocent. They also argued that the harsh police interrogation was not proper as Rachelle was too young to understand her Miranda rights fully. I wont have computer access until the weekend or so because the police took my computer to go through the hard drive. One of the last entries in Rachelle's journal wonders whether anyone is reading her comments (verbatim spelling): Although Waterman has not yet been convicted, sociologists and forensic psychologists are beginning to study her journal and the circumstances of her writing it. We weren't even sure it was Lauri and she was beside herself. They did find her guilty of negligent homicide. Rachelle, then 16, was a student-athlete who sang in the school choir, played volleyball and competed in an academic decathlon. Watermans lawyer, Steven Wells, says they tried to appeal the verdict, arguing that the trial shouldve been in juvenile court. Rachelle Waterman needed an outlet. Larson: Guys in the back? The e-mails addressed to Narcissa, Rachelle's e-mail name - were sexually graphic. People in the small Alaskan village of Craig were shocked by the brutal murder of Lauri Waterman and the arrest of two young locals who quickly confessed to the killing. And she expressed disappointment that she wouldn't be inheriting it. Though, Brian Radel took the stand again in her 2011 retrial and helped the jury find Rachelle guilty of criminally negligent homicide. Dr. Beyer: They can't think like an adult because they don't have an adult brain. And what about those stories, Rachelle's dramatic descriptions of abuse? Rachelle Waterman poured out her feelings on her blog, where she claimed her mother abused her. /1. Jason said that Rachelle was the one who told him that she wanted her mother dead, and he, in turn, asked Brian to carry out the murder for him. That something was double homicide. It made no sense to anyone who knew Lauri Waterman. And I just started - shaking. 30-something TBI survivor + storyteller powered by caffeine & my feline overlords https://medium.com/@fatimhemraj/membership, https://medium.com/@fatimhemraj/membership. He's like the biggest sucker of all time.Demars: Totally. She said that Lauri threatened to sell her into prostitution and once lunged at her with a knife. "You don't need to be a smart aleck," the interviewer said. Brian, per Jason, all but said the words Sure, why not? and they began developing a plan for murder. It was a good choice; the jury was hung, with the results being 10 to 2 for acquittal. During the interview, she claimed she didn't encourage them to murder her mother. The stories she told him about being abused by her mother only making him dream more of being the girls knight in shining armor. Right. McPherron: So Jason says this would be a good weekend.Rachelle: Uh huh. Wells: You have in mind what you want her to say. And a beautiful, lovely woman, very selfless and very giving. When addressing the court b4 her sentencing, all she talked about was how hard things would be for her, since she wouldn't have her mother present for her future graduation, marriage, motherhood etc! The two former boyfriends, Jason Arrant of Klawock and Brian Radel of Thorne Bay, confessed to the 2004 murder, which took place outside of Craig on Prince of Wales Island. Lauri Waterman was suffocated after her killers failed to break her neck and make her death appear to be a drunk-driving accident. 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Rachelle posted these comments to her journal in response to this situation (verbatim spelling): Other readers have pointed to the title of Rachelle's journal, "My Crappy Life (The Inside Look of an Insane Person)", and her negative description of her hometown as "Hell, Alaska, United States": Rachelle posted the following poem to her journal on August 24, 2004, with an indication that she was depressed: She also had a strong desire not to be at home: and even posted an "Ode to Suicide" under the following post: Finally, the weekend before Rachelle left on a trip, during which time her mother was allegedly killed, she noted in her second-to-last entry, "I had a migraine from about 9am-6pm". Troopers continued for hours to lie to, cajole, and scream at Rachelle, demanding a confession. Other strange aspects of the scene told authorities the car hadn't crashed, but had instead been set on fire. Dina Keyt, Rachelle Watermans aunt: It's not possible.Larson: Its like this family's suffering enough-- now youve got to drag somebody else into it.Dina Keyt: Yeah. Rachelle Butler (Waterman) See Photos. The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. After Rachelle's arrest, the judge decided that Rachelle should be moved to Juneau for a fair trial. The two men believed they were going to save Rachelle, who had asked them to kill her mother. CRAIG, Alaska Both Jason and Brian accepted a plea deal in exchange for testifying against Rachelle and took the stand during her first trial. Radel was called in, and police revealed what they heard while Arrant wore a wire. Both men were 24 at the time of the killing near Craig, in Southeast Alaska. Curiously, there was no sign of forced entry. A story that included tales of abuse, prostitution, even witchcraft. The Waterman family is a locally prominent, middle-upper class family. And then Rachelle heard the rumors spreading like fire through the high school rumors that a van was found in the woods with human remains inside. Rachelle and her father were overwhelmed. If you piss me off, you die.. Sgt. . If the decision is overturned, a grand jury will have to determine whether new charges should be handed down. High 53F. Waterman was a tenth-grade honor (A-average) student in her second year at Craig High School. Two men are serving long prison sentences for their roles in Lauri Waterman's death. It was later revealed that the men were, for all intents and purposes, instigated by Lauris daughter, Rachelle. The court rejected the appeal and said the state law stipulates that defendants as young as 16 years old are treated the same as adults in the case of serious crimes, including homicide. Lets find out all there is to know about Brian Radel and Jason Arrant, shall we? Her husband, Carl Doc Waterman, was away on business. Rachelle's brother Geoffrey still has questions, but has never discussed their mother's murder with Rachelle. There are no fast food franchises such as McDonalds, just locally owned joints with names like The Baitbox. In February 2011, Rachelle Waterman made her first return to Craig, Alaska since her original trial for a second trial on charges she conspired to kill her mother. I thank everyone for their thoughts and e-mails, I hope to talk to you when I get my computer back. Jason Arrant also pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was awarded a maximum of 50 years in prison with parole eligibility just after 16 years. Daughter Rachelle, a 16-year-old high schooler, had been in Anchorage for a volleyball tournament. Brian and Jason both testified in Rachelle's trial. He said they then drove to a further spot, set her and the car on fire, and abandoned the vehicle. Just watched the "People magazine investigates" doco (season1 ep10?) But Rachelle says that Jason kept pressing the issue -- even ran through murder scenarios with Brian, but says she never really took them seriously. Why would a 16-year-old girl, who had just lost her mother, to murder nonetheless, write such a cold, uncaring statement so devoid of any emotion? Rachelle Waterman's attorney, Steven Wells, said Monday that a state court judge granted Waterman's request earlier this month to remain free on bond, pending an appeal. Her oldest child, Geoffrey Waterman, was away at college. The defense argued that the Watermans kept a key outside by the back door. Other than sporadic employment, Brian roamed aimlessly, living in the moment. It seemed someone had broken into the home. Commercial fishing is the predominant source of income for most of Craigs residents, with lumbering and saw mills running a close second. (There is no indication that Waterman was a so-called "fetal alcohol" or "drug" child. Lauri Waterman had been murdered. Every entry since March 2004 has apparently now been deleted or hidden, but a ZIP archive of the entire weblog, from before the entries were deleted, is available on Deadly Blogging. Rachel Payne Waterman. This is my warning to all of you. Rachelle appealed on the basis that a 16-year-old should not have been judged as an adult. As of November 2022, Rachelle's "My Crappy Life" blog, the one that started it all, is still active on LiveJournal. Meanwhile, Carl Waterman stood by his daughter and accused the authorities of coercing her confession. Prosecutors argued early on that Rachelle played a crucial part in her mothers death, saying she led the two men to believe the mother abused Rachelle, and that Rachelle wanted her mother dead. On the night of November 14, 2004, Lauri Waterman finally had the house to herself. And inside the Waterman house, Lauri's husband and daughter had found some strange things -- the bed unmade, odd fibers, the fingertip of a rubber glove on the bedroom floor and on the kitchen counter, an empty wine bottle: odd because Lauri rarely drank. IE 11 is not supported. "The remains had been almost completely destroyed by the fire," Claus told "Fatal Frontier: Evil In Alaska," airing Sundays at 7/6c on Oxygen. Rachelle Waterman's court-appointed attorney for the trial is Assistant Public Advocate Steven Wells. Radel did "make some admissions about killing Lauri" while Arrant spoke to him wearing a wire, authorities said. By Becca van Sambeck Lauri Waterman Didn't Approve of Her Daughter's Friends 1:11 Exclusive Investigators Found a Letter of Apology from Lauri to Rachelle Waterman Now Playing Exclusive It appears that Rachelle's legal team filed many appeals over the years of her incarceration, but as recently as 2015, they were all denied by the Alaska Court of Appeals. The primary methods of transportation off the island is via water plane or ferry, the latter being a minimum three hour ride one way. McPherron: You knew it was gonna happen, and you didn't do anything --Rachelle: I told them not to do it!Sgt. Habib: Im sitting over here shaking my head, watching you lie. Although Waterman has been waived into the adult justice system due to the nature of the crime, the Governor of Alaska, Frank Murkowski, has proposed increasing the number of personnel assigned to the juvenile justice system. Larson: Do you feel like Rachelle loved your mom?Geoffrey Waterman, Rachelles brother: That is a tough question. TV-14 Reality and Game Show Daytime Web Exclusive Go to show page His wife and Rachelles mother, Lauri, was nowhere to be found and the family minivan was missing. Pierce: Lauri wasn't one to go around without people knowing that she was gonna go somewhere. Her husband "Doc" was out of town. Rachelle: My whole family's gonna hate me. Arrant and Radel then allegedly met at Forest Service Road 3012 at about 2:30 a.m., and Arrant followed Radel to its dead end, where Radel had driven the Waterman's van. Jason and Brian went way back as the latter later confessed in court that as teens, the pair had made a blood oath to do whatever the other needed doing. By 26, Rachelle was free. Love You Madly: The True Story of a Small-town Girl, the Young Men She Seduced, and the Murder of her Mother. Winds light and variable. Lauri in particular was described as thoughtful "and helpful, so eager to give help," by her friend Victoria Merritt. So he returned home and roamed aimlessly around the island with no real sense of direction. Jason received 99 years, but 49 of those were suspended. A story about an Alaskan teenager who imagined and told stories of wild things - even murder. And Jason says, Well, I can take care of that.. John Larson, Dateline correspondent: If everything had gone perfectly, how would this story have played out? Brian and Jason both testified in Rachelles trial. Community theater, high school volleyball, and concert band werent enough. Rachelle also answers to Rachelle Ann Waterman, and perhaps a couple of other names. Alaska State Police Lt. Rodney Dial has stated that a hunter discovered Lauri Waterman's body and her burnt-out van, while driving on Forest Service Road 3012, a remote logging road, early in the afternoon of Sunday November 142004. On November 14, 2004, Carl Waterman returned home from an out-of-town meeting with his 16-year-old daughter, Rachelle who had also been away at a volleyball tournament in Anchorage. To get a better understanding of Lauri and her familys life, you must first know about where they lived. I dont think that the sentence was unreasonable, I mean I can see why the court did what it did. Its easy to see why Rachelle Waterman referred to it frequently as Hell, Alaska.. 08.03.2006 . Arrant was then brought in for further questioning, finally admitting his full involvement. Its not unusual for underage teen girls to date men in their early twenties in a place like Craig. ET) on Investigation Discovery. Magestro also opined that "we've got a lot more fetal alcohol and drug children who are growing up, and they don't understand the consequences of some of their actions." Protect Rachelle? Teen shelves half empty at Hamilton East as library conducts $300K board-pushed book review. There would have been no way that could happen. When Rachelle and Doc came back Sunday, they realized Lauri was gone. Jason Arrant was one of a handful of Craigs youth who didnt seem to break free. The same charges the two men who killed her mother faced. The stories just didn't match. We knew who he was but we didn't really know him, what he was capable of. And with a letter Rachelle wrote to Jason, the prosecutor tried to demonstrate how Rachelle, heartless and calculating, fantasized how things might be after her mother's death. February 9, 2015 by Leila Khiery - KRBD, Ketchikan. Brian was Rachelles ex-boyfriend. On the night of November 14, 2004, Lauri Waterman was abducted from her home in the tiny town of Craig, on the idyllic Prince of Wales Island off Alaska's panhandle coast, and murdered. In a blow to the prosecution, the same judge who allowed Rachelle's videotaped confession to be used in court threw it out, saying she now believed the confession had been coerced. When a woman ended up murdered, police suspected someone she knew was behind it but the culprit was even closer to home than they thought. 17-year-old Rachelle Waterman had learned a jury could not agree on her guilt or innocence in the murder of her mother and had been sitting in prison wondering what would happen next. Doc and Lauri were prominent members of the community. He has a look to his eye that kind of leads me to believe that he's not all there. ", Daughter charged along with two others in mother's slaying. Jason told police that Rachelle had told him of the upcoming evening when she and her father would be out of town and her mother would be home alone. I won't have computer access until the weekend or so because the police took my computer to go through the hard drive. They then considered whether their daughter, Rachelle, had any connection to the crime.

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